UEFA Champions League
Barcelona to ‘start from scratch’ after Champions League exit, says Xavi
Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez has vowed to return the Spanish giants to the pinnacle of European football after they crashed out of the Champions League on Wednesday (Dec 8) with a 3-0 defeat at Bayern Munich.
Five-time European champions Barca were eliminated in the group stage for the first time in 21 years. They had reached the last 16 in each season since 2003-04, when they did not qualify for the competition at all.
Goals by Thomas Mueller and Leroy Sane gave Bayern a 2-0 half-time cushion in falling snow at the Allianz Arena, which was devoid of spectators due to the high numbers of Covid-19 cases in Bavaria.
Teenager Jamal Musiala grabbed Bayern’s third after the break to seal Barcelona’s fate.
“I’m angry. I don’t like that this is our reality now. We start a new era from here – to work hard and get back in the Champions League,” said Xavi.
Bayern, who also beat Barca 3-0 at the Camp Nou when the sides met in September, had already qualified for the knock-out stages as Group E winners.
They now join Liverpool and Ajax with a perfect six victories from six games in the group stage.
Benfica’s 2-0 win at home to Dynamo Kiev means Barcelona finish third and drop into the Europa League.
It was almost eight years to the day since Bayern lost a home Champions League game in the group phase and the Bundesliga leaders were in no mood to be generous.
Xavi, 41, who took charge of struggling Barcelona four weeks ago, has now suffered back-to-back defeats after his first loss as head coach against Real Betis last weekend.
“We start from scratch. Unfortunately, we are in the Europa League, which is not the place for us,” he insisted.
“We will work hard to put Barcelona back in the right place. We have many things to correct.
“We need to win the Europa League and recover the points in the Spanish league.
“We have had some injuries, maybe we can sign some more players, but we start from zero.”
Bayern were not even at full strength.
With Joshua Kimmich quarantining after a positive Covid test and Leon Goretzka injured, 18-year-old Musiala played out of position alongside Corentin Tolisso in defensive midfield.
Barcelona made a bright start but faded after losing Jordi Alba to injury with half an hour gone, just before Mueller headed Bayern into the lead.
Robert Lewandowski found space on the left of the box and flicked a pass to Mueller, who claimed his 50th Champions League goal when his header looped beyond the reach of Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
It was a double blow to the Barca bench, who had just learnt Benfica were 2-0 up against Dynamo in Lisbon.
Things went from bad to worse for Barca when Sane hit the net with a powerful long-range shot that deceived ter Stegen.
Sane should have put the result beyond doubt when Bayern attacked just after the break.
Instead of tapping the ball into the empty net, he poked the ball into ter Stegen’s grateful arms.
Alphonso Davies, who also ran Barcelona ragged in Bayern’s historic 8-2 drubbing in the 2020 quarter-finals, again caused havoc down the left flank.
The quicksilver Canadian created Bayern’s third when he pulled the ball back for Musiala to tap home from close range on 62 minutes.
With 20 minutes left and the contest effectively over, Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann started taking off first-choice players.
First to go were wingers Davies and Kingsley Coman.
Then followed star striker Lewandowski and centre-back Niklas Suele, yet still Barcelona could not threaten Manuel Neuer in the Bayern goal.
After the final whistle, Mueller backed Xavi to turn Barcelona around.
“When you look at the (Barcelona) team, they are good players, they have everything they need,” said Mueller.
“We know things aren’t going so well behind the scenes and I had the feeling they couldn’t find the intensity they needed, which helped our cause.”
-AFP
Tickets for the men’s Champions League final in Budapest will start at 70 euros ($80) with a lottery deciding the allocation for the general public, UEFA said on Monday.
The final will be on May 30 at Puskas Arena in the Hungarian capital.
Fans will also be able to attend the women’s Champions League final at Oslo’s Ullevaal Stadium on May 23 for as little as 20 euros, with tickets on sale from Monday for all UEFA club competition finals.
The pricing structure stands in contrast to major international tournaments such as the World Cup and the European Championship, where ticket prices are typically far higher and have drawn criticism from supporters.
Applications are open through UEFA’s ticket portal, with sales for the Champions League final closing on March 19.
Tickets will then be allocated through a lottery once the rather than sold through first-come, first-served sales or dynamic pricing models increasingly used at major sporting events.
UEFA said the majority of tickets for the four finals will go to supporters of the participating teams and the general public, with more than 40 percent of capacity for the Champions League final reserved for fans in the two lowest price categories.
Prices for the Europa League final in Istanbul on May 20 start at 40 euros, while the Conference League final in Leipzig on May 27 begins at 25 euros.
-Reuters
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Atletico Madrid tore Tottenham Hotspur apart in a stunning first-half blitz on Tuesday, powering to a 5-2 victory in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie and leaving the Premier League side with a mountain to climb in London.
The visitors’ 22-year-old goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky endured a night to forget on his first appearance since October and only his third of the season.
Two costly errors from the Czech helped Atletico race into a commanding lead, and he was substituted in the 17th minute by manager Igor Tudor immediately after Atletico’s third goal.
Marcos Llorente struck after six minutes when Kinsky slipped while playing the ball out, and Antoine Griezmann doubled the lead in the 14th when Micky van de Ven also lost his footing.
A minute later, Julian Alvarez walked in the third after Kinsky miscued a clearance, the earliest a team has gone three goals up in a Champions League knockout match.
After Kinsky was replaced by Guglielmo Vicario, Atletico added a fourth when Robin Le Normand’s header crossed the line following a rebound from Griezmann’s free kick. Tottenham defender Pedro Porro reduced the deficit after 26 minutes.
Alvarez then raced from his own half to score the hosts’ fifth goal in the 55th before Dominic Solanke punished an error by Atletico keeper Jan Oblak, which gifted Spurs a second goal.
“We’re very happy with the win and the three-goal lead, but there are still 90 minutes left to play on their home turf,” Alvarez told Movistar Plus.
“We know what this competition is like. Every detail counts, it’s not going to be easy, but we want to be in the quarter-finals.”
ATLETICO SEIZE CONTROL
Diego Simeone’s Atletico side needed barely a quarter of an hour at the Metropolitano stadium to seize control, scoring three times in nine chaotic minutes as Premier League strugglers Spurs unravelled spectacularly.
The rout began in the sixth minute when Kinsky slipped onto his backside while attempting to play out from the back, gifting possession to Alvarez. The Argentine squared for Llorente, who steered a tidy finish just inside the left post.
Eight minutes later, defender Van de Ven also lost his footing trying to control a routine pass, leaving Griezmann free to burst into the area and drill a low shot past Kinsky.
A minute later, Kinsky completely fluffed a first-time clearance from a back-pass, allowing Alvarez to stroll the ball into an unguarded net.
Atletico’s three goals marked the earliest a team has gone three ahead in a Champions League knockout match, and the damage was far from complete.
Tudor reacted by sending on regular keeper Vicario, but the Italian had little time to settle.
In the 22nd minute, he pushed out a Griezmann free kick only as far as Le Normand, whose close-range header was initially clawed away before the referee, alerted by goal-line technology, awarded Atletico their fourth goal.
TOTTENHAM TRY TO RESPOND
To their credit, Spurs responded swiftly. Porro surged down the right in the 26th minute, collected a lateral pass from Richarlison and fired past Oblak to reduce the arrears.
Tottenham captain Cristian Romero then struck the post with a header from a corner before halftime as the visitors sought another lifeline, while Griezmann sliced wide from close range with the goal at his mercy.
Any hope of a sustained Spurs comeback was extinguished 10 minutes after the break. With the away side committed forward, Atletico broke at speed from a defensive corner.
Griezmann’s delightful touch released Alvarez from inside his own half and the forward sprinted clear before sliding a low finish beyond Vicario for his second and Atletico’s fifth.
There was still time for another twist.
In the 76th minute Oblak miscontrolled the ball while attempting to play out from the back, presenting halftime substitute Solanke with possession and the striker rifled home to give Spurs the faintest glimmer of hope.
Yet the evening belonged emphatically to Atletico, who carry a three-goal advantage into next week’s return leg in London after a display that punished every Tottenham misstep.
-Reuters
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UEFA Champions League
Heineken Brings “Fans Have More Friends” Campaign to Nigeria for Champions League Round of 16
As the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League gets underway, Heineken is bringing fans together in Nigeria through its global “Fans Have More Friends” campaign.
The initiative will see premium match-viewing experiences hosted in Lagos at select venues, including GreenHouse on Olu Holloway Road, Ikoyi, and Hunger Games on Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island, during match days on Tuesday and Wednesday.
According to organisers, the events are designed to offer more than just live football coverage. Fans attending the viewing parties will enjoy live music performances, interactive “predict and win” games, branded merchandise giveaways and a steady supply of Heineken throughout the night.
The programme aims to transform match nights into full entertainment experiences that blend football, music and social interaction among supporters.
Every goal comes with excitement!
Maria Shadeko, Portfolio Manager for Premium Beer at Nigerian Breweries Plc, said the campaign reflects the deep connection between football and social life in Nigeria.
“In Nigeria, Champions League nights are about connection,” Shadeko said. “Friends come together, strangers become friends, and everyone shares the same emotions from kick-off to the final whistle. Through Heineken’s ‘Fans Have More Friends’ platform, we are celebrating that spirit of togetherness.”
While the festivities unfold off the pitch, attention will also turn to the action across Europe as the knockout stage produces several high-profile encounters.
Among the headline ties is the clash between Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea FC, while Newcastle United face FC Barcelona. Elsewhere, Galatasaray SK will meet Liverpool FC, and Atlético Madrid will battle Tottenham Hotspur.
Heineken rewards a loyal fan in ‘Predict and Win’ contest at one of the viewing experiences on a match night
Another standout fixture pits Real Madrid against Manchester City, a contest many fans consider worthy of a final. Bayern Munich will take on Atalanta BC, Bayer Leverkusen face Arsenal FC, while Sporting CP meet Bodø/Glimt.
Nigerian fans will also have a strong interest in the tournament through local stars playing key roles for their clubs. Victor Osimhen is expected to lead the attack for Galatasaray against Liverpool, while Ademola Lookman will aim to shine for Atlético Madrid in their tie against Tottenham.
Across Lagos and other Nigerian cities, Champions League match nights have become social gatherings where supporters of different clubs watch together, debate tactics and celebrate goals.
Shadeko said Heineken’s campaign is designed to capture and amplify that shared passion.
“Fandom has a unique way of bringing people closer,” she said. “When you watch a big match with others, the experience becomes bigger and more memorable. That is what we are creating with these match-day experiences.”
As the Champions League anthem echoes across Europe and the Round of 16 drama begins, fans in Nigeria will gather once again to share the excitement, with Heineken adding its own flavour to the match-night experience
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